This is another album that I found difficult to get a hold of, mostly because of the strange release dates. It was supposed to be released on March 4 but got pushed back to the 14th. Then it got digitally released on the 24th but the physical CD release isn’t until May 12th. So yeah, confusing…

I got the digital copy by the way. I’m too impatient to wait for the actual CD release. It comes with a digital booklet & the promo video for Come Back To Me if you’re interested.

Anyway… This is Utada’s 2nd North American release. After hearing her more recent Japanese material I had some high hopes for this album. Before listening I was thinking the worst it could get is to sound like another experimental pop experience like Exodus.

But thankfully This Is The One is much more immediately accessible. In a way it’s similar to Heart Station in regards to sound. So if you liked that album I believe you’re going to dig this one. After going through the entire album a couple of times over I think Utada has a good shot at making an impact this time. There are a lot of very strong tracks that would definitely spice up the blandness of North American radio.

Some of the more interesting tracks I found were Me Muero, Merry Chirstmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI and Apple and Cinnamon. Of the 3 the second track in the list is my favorite. It’s quite catchy & has a sweet piano/violin melody. I also thought that the reference to Captain Picard chillin & flossin to be kind of funny.

Other tracks to take note of are the 3 at the end of the album (Dirty Desire, Poppin, On And On). The lyrical content on these songs are dirtier than the typical Utada song. It was strange to hear her singing about 6 and 9’s, loving long time, sexy stilettos & panties off.

But hey, the songs sound good & I’m all for her wanting to get her freak on. I wasn’t too happy with the the way Dirty Desire ended. That really should have been a cold stop instead of a quick fade out. It just didn’t sound right with that type of ending. On And On sounds very much like a Keri Hilson type song. Whether that ‘s a good thing is up to you, I didn’t mind.

Overall, much better than Exodus. If this is actually marketed properly it could probably hit fairly high in the charts. Otherwise, well it’ll be another album lost in the shuffle for hardcore Utada & J-Pop fans to play in obscurity.